Impressive Architecture

On our first afternoon in the CBD, we needed a mental break from all the activity of travel and exploring. We slipped into one of the libraries at the University of Melbourne. We found ourselves surrounded by soothing textures and sounds. One side of the lounge had plush blue couches in soft oval shapes that hinted of flowing water. The other side had sandy colored straight benches. The flooring reflected the contrasting features and even the air conditioning vents were placed on the water side so it sounded like ocean waves. I noticed as I moved down the hall, the colors got more red, like the red rock center of Australia, and the seating got progressively more firm. The blue couches, the sandy benches, then upholstered stools, and finally wooden benches. It was so impressive, and is just one illustration of how Melbourne never does anything just for function. Everything looks interesting and beautiful. Every building is skillful presented to be a work of art.

Henry appreciated the good architectural elements here and in the city in general. He was started to embrace the vibes of the city and looked forward to returning the next day.

Flinders Station

I could lay on my back and stare at the ceiling of Melbourne Central for a long time. But it's a busy mall. 

This is a bridge decorated with airplane shaped wings just because it's cool.

Part of the beautiful pedestrian bridge.

Imaginaria: The Future of Playgrounds

 While trying to orient Henry to the pulse of the CBD, we ended up in the Docklands area just outside the CBD. Henry had been looking forward to riding the giant Ferris wheel, The Melbourne Star. 

Which we discovered is permanently closed. A Covid casualty. Whoa. That mental shock required a food stop at San Churro that was thankfully close. 

Henry saw something called "The Imaginaria: The Future of Playgrounds." It was in a huge inflated structure and looked interesting to him. So I paid for admission with what I would have spent on the Star and we went it.  

At first I thought it was just a bounce house with mood lighting and was unimpressed. But Henry was having a lot of fun and then I started to notice the uniqueness of it. There was a large rotating floor. It moved very slowly. Overhead was a large screen. It was showing the image of the people on the rotating floor. So when you laid on your back and looked up, you could feel yourself moving, but it *looked* like you were stationary because the overhead image moved with you. It was mesmerizing. And kind of relaxing. 

They had a lot of soft rubbery tubes hanging from the ceiling with lights shining on them so they were all lit up. You could walk through them. It felt like grass blades but looked like colorful rain. It was also relaxing. 

They had a huge talking AI head that you could ask questions. There was a hallway with mirrors that looked like a giant kaleidoscope you could walk through. It was eery, but also...relaxing.

Henry had fun with an interactive round screen that responded to touch with lots of little dots of light. It looked like glitter in a snow globe, but if rotated on the screen along with your movements. 

Henry was running around a lot having a blast. And I was letting go of some stress too.  

Getting ready to leave!

We spent a lot of time doing the math on how to do luggage. We only get one piece of checked luggage and one carry on. It’s fine when we first leave, but on our flights to Perth, Tasmania, and back home to Utah, a carry on can only weigh 7kg, or about 15 pounds. Most of the carryon suitcases weigh 7-8 pounds when it’s empty. So we had to take less carryon than normal. If we all took a typical carryon-sized suitcase they would have to be mostly empty to pass weight. Fortunately Allen has a Tom Bihn obsession and has collected some handy travel bags over the years. They don’t roll, but we decided he and I would use those and carry them like backpacks. We were trying to decide if we wanted to check another large bag ($100 each of three trips) or another small carryon suitcase for Henry (free the first flight but $100 each of TWO trips leaving Melbourne and Perth). The dilemma is that it’s free the first time, but it doesn’t carry as much stuff. If we take a large bag, we have to pay $100 *three* times, is it worth it to have the space on our return trip for souvenirs? We messed with that math for two days and finally decided to take the carryon bag. If we need more on the way back we will buy a suitcase with the $100 we saved, or use a box. 

Now I have to tell you how dumb it is that we obsessed about that because our tickets were over $2800. EACH. ONE WAY. An extra $100 just doesn’t matter. And Allen’s employer is paying for the airfare. Now I have to tell you the story about the airfare.*

We stuffed everything from my office and our bedroom into Henry's room. That will make for less trips to the basement when we get back. 

One of the last things I did at the house was to clean up the succulents and repot them. No, not because I'm crazy. It's because I knew that was optional and I'd only do it if everything else was done and I had time. And I did. I also took some sweet pea seeds and sowed them out front around the sunflower stem from last summer. It’s still wrapped with vines from the morning glory that grew well, but never flowered. I hope the peas will grow up the pole and greet us when we return with blossoms. 

I got a notification while we drove to the airport that our gate for the flight leaving San Francisco to Melbourne had changed to G9. No worries.

United was super helpful. I had already checked in and printed our boarding passes at home. There was absolutely no line at security, but I feel like I used about 6 bins for all my stuff. That doesn’t include Henry or Allen. Both my bags were flagged because they have so many snacks in them. :) I know how bad things are when Henry gets hangry. 

After security we needed dinner. Cafe Rio was the first restaurant. It was way easier ordering with an easy kiosk, instead of a person with a Spanish accent yelling fast at you “pinto or black?”  Henry came back from the bathroom and said, “that was the nicest public bathroom I’ve ever been in. Five stars so far.” And shortly after that said,  “I feel completely stress free right now.” 

That changed while we were sitting at our gate eating dinner when we found out they had changed our gate. He didn't like having something undone. He just wanted to BE THERE ASAP. So even though we had plenty of time, we had to scarf down dinner and move to settle his head.

Got another notification that the gate for San Francisco had changed to G6.

I had been trying to find a good time to call my mom before we leave the country and our phones won’t work for a bit. I texted her after we ate dinner and said “I’m finally going to call you after my bathroom trip.” Well I almost lost my phone to the toilet. It was in the inside pocket of my jacket and it just tilted enough to come out with out my realizing it. Yikes. Mom would have been waiting for a very long time. 

Henry called his best friend Max a few minutes before boarding and they talked as long as possible. Even after we had boarded. 

They had to de-ice the plan and we got some cool video. I’d never seen that before. 

We landed in San Francisco early even after taking off late. Got a notification that the gate had changed to G5.

Then it was G4 *and* delayed 30 minutes because they were waiting for a gate to become available. I figured that meant they didn’t actually have G4. 

And sure enough a few minutes later we got a notification it was now G2. 

It took a long time to board. Every passenger was checked with biometric screening. I didn’t show my passport or my boarding pass. I stood in front of a scanner that compared my face with my passport on record. They could tell who I was! Creepy. And they did that for 280 people.

While we waited to taxi to the runway I couldn’t stay awake anymore. I fell asleep…and woke up to find that we were still at the gate. I’m not sure why but because they were delayed finding a gate they were still refueling and getting the plane ready. We didn’t leave until 12:45 or so. Departure was originally 11:00 pm. This meant that we actually did have 45 minutes of December 20. If we had left on time, we'd have landed in Melbourne on Dec 21, entirely skipping the 20th because of the international date line. 

During the 16 hour flight, I had time to evaluate our neck pillow purchases. 

Pains in the neck pillows

Neck pillows are a fake industry. They don’t actually work. I bought a very expensive one for Allen back in August that has higher sides and can be anchored to the back of the chair. But the opening in the very front offers no support for your chin at all. Your chin just slides right between the two sides. And it’s just not snug around my neck. I bought a contoured one that is also very loose but when turned sideways can offer *some* support. The child sized one I got for Henry in the spring was useless for him but he liked the adult sized one *when* we tightened it with a Velcro strap (eliminating the chin gap). I bought another one that said it was smaller and made for people 90-140 pounds. It still fits incredibly loose and required a Velcro strap to offer any support at all. But because it’s smaller, the height of the neck support is lower. So I got to sleep, but woke because my neck was incredibly uncomfortable. 

I have bought and returned 3-4 pillows, and even the ones I kept are not that great. Allen’s seemed to serve him well as far as neck support. It has a strap that you can actually secure it to the back of your chair so you don’t slump over. But the loop strap on the case completely broke while he was getting on to the plane. It was $40. More than twice the cost of the other pillows. 

Allen’s: Cabeau $40. Good side support. Held secure to the back of chair. But no neck support and fit me too loosely. 

Henry’s, $22. Very loose for me. Worked well for him but only with a velcro strap we had to add around to squeeze it tighter against him. 

Mine-sized “small,” $15: still loose. Required a Velcro strap. Lower height offered less support for my neck. Worked a little better if I turned it sideways but then support was only on one side. Would have been better if turned backward but the Velcro cinching I had to do made it bulky there so I couldn’t turn it backwards. 

Velpeau Neck brace. This is the one I bought for Henry but had to return because I followed their sizing instructions but it was too tall for him. I think this would have been the one to get but we didn't have time to order another size. 

Those neck pillows you see in the airports for $20 can offer side to side support but won’t do anything to support your chin. That would be fine if you were able to recline and keep your head back, but an airplane chair doesn’t really recline enough to lean your head back, so your chin will still fall forward, especially with the bulk of that pillow behind it pushing against it. 

Moral of the story. You can sleep on a plane when you are tired enough, but you can’t *stay* asleep because the pain in your neck will wake you up. Unless the Cabeau fits you…and it doesn’t fall off the strap before you make it to your seat. 

Febraury 2024 UPDATE: 

I've been burned by so many other neck pillows. They clasp under your chin but your chin falls right through the opening, and you can't make them tighter at all. I'm a thin person so most adult pillows just don't fit me snuggly enough to offer support. Child pillows fit better but aren't tall enough. I basically was done trying. But I saw another very expensive neck pillow featured on a website and thought maybe I could find a similar pillow and just add my own eye mask. So I started searching for a wrap around neck support. I found this BUYUE, and for the low price decided to give it a try (I got it for less than $18). This one is so adjustable and legitimately supports my head in a way that doesn't feel like I'm being squeezed. I can wear it in different positions. The back doesn't feel so bulky and push my head forward. And it even comes with an eye mask! The very expensive pillow that inspired my search was $150! This is a fraction of the cost and I'm very happy with it. 

Airfare drama

*Airfare drama:

We bought tickets back in August because some people from Perth said Singapore Airlines was a fantastic airline, very organized and comfortable for travel. They loved it. It was also the cheapest flight. Definitely longer travel time at 44 hours (!), but I was just trying to be responsible. BYU is paying for the tickets, but when we first proposed this sabbatical, the budget for airfare was $7000, round trip. And then the war in Ukraine changed that reality so it was actually $8000 on the cheapest airline. And it was going to take 44 hours to get there. Ugh. But, you know, I was trying to respect the budget and do my part. I can buy a good travel pillow and just sleep, right? And pack snacks and then still have 5 months (minus one extra day) in Australia. 

A few weeks after buying the tickets, I got an email that our flight from Salt Lake to San Francisco had been cancelled and I needed to call to make a change. I did, and they offered me a flight that actually left later but still arrived at the same time so we went from 44 hours to 36! Yay! 

Then it was too good to be true. A few more weeks passed and they cancelled the Salt Lake flight again. But offered nothing to replace it. They told me they would have to 

1) email Singapore Airlines to see what changes they would offer

2) I would get a response in 4-5 days with a new itinerary. 

Ok. 

Never got another email. 

So I would call again about 10 days later. 

This time they would say 

3) they would escalate this issue to priority status, and 

4) there was no need to call again. 

Except there *was* a need because I never got an email. 

I repeated steps 1-4 about 6 times. It went on for 75 days. 

I am not a pushover and I don't take things like that quietly. 

Prices for tickets were now over $4000. It was cheaper to keep this booking and buy my own one way tickets to LA. Then they said I can’t do that because if I don’t show up in Salt Lake for the first flight they will consider me a no show and cancel the rest of my bookings. I said “if I don’t show up for WHAT in Salt Lake? There isn’t anything for me to not show up to!" Ugh. So they said they’d have to 

1) email Singapore Airlines to inform them of my plan and 

2) wait for a response. 

Oh my freaking gosh. At this point I had lost all faith in their ability to get me there. I said just cancel the booking. 

And can you believe,... they said... 

1) we’ll have to email Singapore Airlines to grant a refund and

2) it may take up to 8 weeks to receive my refund, and it may not even come until after my travel would have started. 

I’m furious. Actually I was furious about 2 months ago. They had already had my money for 2 months and I needed it back so I could buy new tickets (which were going to cost 50% more now). I had to call in the big guns.

I called VISA and disputed the charges. Within 24 hours I had my money back and the case had been settled. 

Bought tickets for $8500. But this time they were only *one way.* Yikes. I'll still have to buy tickets to get home. It will likely end up costing the $4000 per person. 

But here is what I learned. God loves me. He said “Shelly, I appreciate that you wanted to be frugal and were willing to make sacrifices to keep the cost of the tickets low, but I’m paying for these tickets [it’s a church owned university] and I want you to have a good trip.” The travel time went from 44 hours to 19. Nineteen. It felt like a luxury. And it was the perfect moment to rebuy them because I checked again on prices a month later and they were still the same price, but the low travel time option was no where to be found unless I paid about $9000 PER PERSON.

God loves me. And he’s taking this trip with me. 

Now I have to tell you about my fish hook.*

My Fish Hook for my journey

When I left Australia last time, a friend from New Zealand, Elaine Ahokava, gave me a fishhook necklace made from bone and shell. It holds significance to the islanders. You are not supposed to buy them for yourself. It’s supposed to be a gift. It offers protection and spiritual guidance on your travels and “journeys.” The shell piece fell off a few years ago and Nick Crockett (who also understands the significance of the hook) said he could fix it with bone cement for me. But then the pandemic happened and I never got around to taking it to him. In November I realized I need it before I travel again. So I asked him and he said he could do it but it had been so long he had forgotten what needed to be done. For some reason I felt like I should take it with me to Stake Conferfence in case I saw him. I did, but it was rare to see him because he’s in the bishopric of a YSA ward. He isn't usually in our building at all on Sundays. Two weeks passed and I’ve been worried he’d forget, and we are leaving soon. I didn’t want to bother him or remind him and make him feel pressed. So I was at the temple one day and was praying for a lot of things on my mind. Things I want for our family desperately, but know it will be a long time, if ever, that they will be granted. Another thing I asked Heavenly Father for was to remind Nick about the necklace. I explained that I didn’t want to make a big deal about a necklace and demand something of someone who is already busy and has no obligation to do this on my timeline. 

Nick showed up at my door that night just before dinner. I texted him later and told him about my prayer and thanked him for listening to God. He said, “It actually explains why I felt so strongly that it had to be done today and in your hands. Isn’t it wonderful how He is in the details of our life. It’s as though today He said, ‘yes Shelly, I see you.’ “ Yes. Because if he heard that prayer, I know he heard the other one. So now this hook means even more to me. It really is a reminder that God is my Guide along my journey.

Australia's Must See Sights in one blogpost

Two friends are moving to Australia for short-term stays so I compiled my list of travel and resources for them. I thought I'd share it here for anyone else to help plan your visits. 

Just the other day, Henry (who was only 3 when we left Australia) said, "When are we going back to Australia? Because I am diggin' that place!"

Before we got to Australia I was worried about expenses. I had NO plans to really travel much at all. When we got there, we realized things weren’t as expensive as people had made us believe, and that travel was really pretty affordable. So I started talking to everyone there about what sights they felt were crucial for our time there. I made a list of things we wanted to do, found when the best time was to see it, and mapped it all out on a master list of the year. We got most of it done!

Here’s the list, with explanations as needed:

***** = Must see

**** = we had a good experience and I recommend it if this is your sort of interest

*** = not amazing but still a recommended experience to the whole cultural experience

GREATER MELBOURNE AREA:
*a note about getting there. If it's in the CBD, don't try to drive. Take the train and public transit. Download the "PTV" app on your phone and it will navigate you to which trains and busses to take. Don't try to drive. Just. Listen to me. 

Melbourne Zoo, CBD ***** (get a membership. it is good at the local Weribee Zoo (on the west side) as well as the Healesville Sanctuary (on the East side). The Melbourne Zoo is organized very user friendly so you can see just portions at a time and come back to a central location when you want a break or don’t want to see the entire place. We went to Weribee Zoo several times. It has a large wildlife area that they drive you through so it feels like an African Safari. 

https://www.zoo.org.au/melbourne

https://www.zoo.org.au/healesville

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/06/melbourne-zoos.html

Shrine of Remembrance****, CBD

A veteran museum. History information. You should be familiar with this info and stories because the Aussie’s have great respect for the ANZAC contribution to the war.
https://www.shrine.org.au/Home

National Art Gallery of Victoria*** , CBD

Interesting exhibits. I think most portions are free. Some exhibits have a charge.
https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/

Royal Botanical Gardens,**** CBD. 

I loved these. There is usually one in every major city. Large and proudly cared for areas to showcase the beautiful plants of Australia. 

Queen Victoria Market, "Vic Market" *****, CBD

local crazy market with local cuisine and everything you can imagine for sale. Definitely a must see sooner than later so you’ll know what you want to bring home. Avoid touristy purchases on your first go. Let yourself find out what you think is worthwhile. But we did love the little metal keychains that come in a rainbow of colors shaped like kangaroos or Australia (also serve as beer bottle openers). 

https://qvm.com.au

Parliament House, *** CBD

Interesting to see how their form of government works.

Hosier Lane, ***** CBD

Graffiti Alley that is constantly changing with new art. Graffiti tags are welcomed most places in the area and the artists are very good.

Fitzroy Gardens, ***** CBD
There are beautiful gardens everywhere but these have a little history and a lot of whimsy added in. I highly recommend making a visit.
http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/01/saturday-is-special-day-at-fitzroy.html

Puffing Billy train rides **** (east side)

Once or twice a year they have a Thomas the Train event that was a highlight for my 3 year old. 

https://puffingbilly.com.au

1000 Steps Kokoda *** (east side, maybe an hour from CBD)

A memorial walk/hike. We actually took the train here, too. Took about 90 minutes from Point Cook? So much better than driving. 

Eureka Sky Deck,**** CBD

A skyscraper that lets you go to the top floors (for money) and see the entire city 360 degrees.
https://www.eurekaskydeck.com.au

Philip Island ***** (2 hours from CBD)

About a 3 hour drive so get a room for the night. You can see penguins up close at the far end of the island. There is also a Koala Sanctuary on Philip Island and you’ll be able to see them quite close. Also stop by and see the Pelican feeding at the fisherman’s cafe just at the entrance of Philip Island. There is also a Grand Prix Racing Track to see if you’re into that. They have a scaled version of the track where you can ride a go-cart type car around the track. Red Rock Beach was a beautiful place to watch the sunset in the evening. Don’t miss that!

https://www.visitphillipisland.com

https://www.phillipislandpoint.com.au/attractions/pelican-feeding/

https://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/02/phillip-island.html#more

Sesame Street
For real. There is a Sesame Street. And they don't even make a big deal of it.
http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2015/11/SesameStreet.html

Trapeze *****: http://www.flyfactory.com.au

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/04/live-like-you-were-dying.html

Formula One Race Event *** (end of March or beginning of April)

Melbourne Star *** (giant Ferris Wheel)

Somewhat pricey but we found a coupon somewhere that made it reasonable. 

(UPDATE: Apparently it permanently closed during the pandemic)

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/01/melbourne-star.html

Things we didn’t do but were good ideas:

Rodeo

Aussie Rules Football (Not the same rules as Rugby. Not soccer)

Melbourne Storm Game

Yarra Valley Trail (hike)

Dandenong Ranges

You Yangs

WYNDHAM AREA (west side)

Werribee Zoo ***** (see above). The African Safari bus ride is included with admission or membership every time you visit. Well worth it. 

https://www.zoo.org.au/werribee

Royal Airforce Museum, ** Point Cook, (once is enough). Just a general museum that will give you a little history on the Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF). Large planes and items on display.

Werribee Mansion *****

A mansion once owned by prominent people in the area. Beautiful grounds and interesting information on the tour.

There are rose gardens adjacent to the Mansion. A Rose Show once a year in November. 

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2015/12/werribee-mansion.html

Collingwood Children’s Farm

I can’t remember a lot about this. Geared toward children.
https://www.farm.org.au

Williamstown Ferry*****

A ferry ride that takes you across the bay into the CBD. Not too expensive but a fun experience for kids. Williamstown is a fun area to explore. Great Gellato and little shops near the harbor. Fun playgrounds.
http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/01/boat-cruise.html

Things we didn’t do:

Ballarat Wildlife Park (about an hour and a half drive north)

Somewhere near the Ballarat area (I think) has a hidden fairy garden

BEACHES:

We frequented Torquay Beach (about an hour south). That was good for surfing or boogie boarding. Much like a California Beach. I liked to go to Altona Beach that was only a 15 minute drive with my little boy since it was in the bay and didn’t have strong waves. The sandbars go out a long way so I didn’t worry about him wading out too deep. LOVED it there but the locals turn their noses up at it. Stay away from the south end because for some reason it smells down there. Near the pier is fine. This is where we spent Christmas Eve singing Carols on the beach. http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2015/12/carols-on-coast.html It is also a fun shopping area and they have a market once a week selling various things and have live entertainment. I really have a lot of good memories at Altona. Rough area to be in after dark, though.

Mornington Beach is on the east side of Melbourne and would take a drive but I heard it was nice. Never went to St. Kilda’s Beach that is near the CBD. 

GREAT OCEAN ROAD*****:

Lots of sights to see as you drive along this scenic highway. Lorne Beach is a must. Go far out to the right side and you’ll find some interesting lava formation. It’s a great place to search for sea glass. You’ll probably see a lot of cockatoos there. Stay overnight at Apollo Bay. Quiet but beautiful. Then continue along the highway at least to Twelve Apostles (rock formations) and then stay again in Apollo Bay on your way back home. Or you could continue all the way to Warnambool and do whale watching. Check what time of year is good for that. 

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2015/11/our-trip-along-great-ocean-road.html

Maits Rest Rainforest Walk*****: 

https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/Great-Ocean-Road/Things-to-do/Outdoor-activities/Walking-and-hiking/VV-Maits-Rest-Rainforest-Trail.aspx

Otway Treetop Walk*****

https://www.otwayfly.com

DISTANCE TRAVEL:

Perth: We flew to Perth. Stayed overnight on the beach in Bunbury (about an hour south). There was a really nice lookout tower in the town we visited in the morning. Went to a place to see dolphins up close: http://dolphindiscovery.com.au

Then we went south headed for a tiny place called Walpole. That was about a 5 hour drive. Actually went all that way to see the Treetop walk: (http://www.valleyofthegiants.com.au) But the other stuff was much more memorable. There is a Treetop Walk on the Great Ocean Road just as nice. 

We made sure to hit the Diamond Tree Outlook on the drive down AND the drive back up. Life changing for my kids! https://www.australias.guide/wa/attraction-tour/diamond-tree-lookout-manjimup/

Stayed in Nornalup at the most charming place with a lovely couple who treated us so nicely. www.nornalupriversidechalets.com.au We were able to go canoeing in the morning on the river (right there by our cabin) and we heard a Kookabura howl! Green Pools was breathtakingly beautiful. Also saw Circular Pools. Then went to see Swarbrick Art Loop. Funny little art sculptures in the middle of nowhere.
http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2015/12/perth-trip.html

Perth: Allen and I went again the next year for a business trip. We spent some time in Freemantle shopping. There is a great place there to buy a legit didgeridoo. https://www.didgeridoobreath.com

Tasmania: 

Hobart is the place to go. There is a Bruny Island boat tour that was amazing. https://www.brunycruises.com.au

Be sure to time your trip so you can visit the Salamanca Market on the weekends. https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/attraction/salamancamarket

And we loved a pedal-powered car on abandoned railroads. www.railtrackriders.com.au

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/02/tasmania.html

Don’t miss 7 Mile Beach. We found HUGE beautiful seashells there. The size of our palms. Lots of them. 

Uluru/Ayer’s Rock, Kata Tjuta, King’s Canyon, and Alice Springs:

Allen took the girls for a hurried trip to see Uluru, then drove 3 hours north to see King’s Canyon. Probably could have lived without King’s Canyon and just driven 20 minutes west to see Kata Tjuta instead. Uluru is the big thing to definitely see. 

Alice Springs is mostly famous by name, lots of aboriginal people there. They will have traditional paintings for sale on the street for $30-40. The ones in the gallery’s will cost you 10x that much. I just bought directly from the artist on the street. 

My son and I went on a separate trip to camp out in the outback with a guided tour. Slept under the stars in the outback. Way cool. www.therocktour.com.au

http://7onsabbatical.blogspot.com/2016/01/uluru-and-kata-tjuta.html

Gold Coast:

We just found a hotel near the beach. There is plenty to walk around and see in that small area. We did some Standup Paddle boarding that was really fun. Before we flew out the last evening we drove across the border into New South Wales just to cross the border. Ended up at Dreamtime Beach. It was a hidden GEM. No commerce. The gods would vacation there. Worth it. 

Cairns: 

Tropical. We went to a crocodile farm there. It was very humbling. Definitely the only way to see crocs. https://www.crocodileadventures.com

The best gelato ever: 

Gelocchio, 9/93 The Esplanade

Cairns 4870 QLD

Canberra: The Capital Territory

The history museum was very nice. We saw the parliament house which has some interesting stories and architecture. 

Adelaide: 

We took a day trip. You can find roundtrip flights for $49 so we just arrive in the morning and leave in the evening so we didn’t have the expense of a hotel. There isn’t a lot to see (or that we wanted to see) so we didn’t stay long.